Upper



(No Model.)

B. NAGLE. UPPER.

No. 432,326. Patented July 15, 1890.

I, I'll 111 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD NAGLE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

UPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Batent No. 432,326, dated July 15, 1890. Application filed April 15, 1890. Serial No. 347,994. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD NAGLE, of

Lynn, in the county of Essex, State of Mas-' clear, and exact to enable any person skilledin the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shoe provided with my improvement; Fig. 2, a plan view, the sole of the shoe being represented as broken away and the upper turned outward to show the elastic sheet; Fig. 3, a transverse section taken on line at w in Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a plan view showing the portion of the upper attached to the elastic sheet; Fig. 5, a view illustrating certain details of construction, and Fig. 6 a sectional view illustratin a modification in the manner of attaching the elastic sheet.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates especially to boots and shoes provided with an elastic portion in their uppers, whereby they may readily conform to the movements of the foot; and it consists in certain novel features, hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a simpler, cheaper, and more eifective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the boot or shoe upper; B,'the sole, and C the insole. To the lower edge of the lining Z) of the upper, between the shank and toe portions thereof, a small sheet of elastic material d is attached by means of sewing or cementing and forms a part of said lining. The lining is then attached to the upper at the top in the ordinary manner. At or opposite the portion of the lining formed by the elastic sheet the outer material of the upper is folded to form one or more loose longitudinally-arranged plaits f,

and is stitched at g on each side of said plaits to the elastic sheet. When lasted onto the sole'C in the usual manner and secured by tacks 1 (see Fig. 3,) said' plaits are disposed on the outer face of said insole near its edge.

The outer sole B is secured to the insole O by stitches p in the usual way, said stitches passing through the upperA and inner edge of the elastic sheet (1. The plaitf in the finished shoe is thus disposed outside thesolc-stitches p and is concealed between the soles O and B.

In use the plait f permits the upper to spread as the elastic sheet (I is distended by the pressure of the foot of the wearer. This prevents the upper from binding the foot across the toes and ball, said upper readily conforming to the movements of the muscles of the foot. As soon as released the elastic sheet draws the plaitinward between the soles again, where it is concealed.

My improved boot, as thus constructed, has the general appearance of an ordinary boot. The leather or other material of which the upper is constructed is alone exposed to View, and the plait f therein is entirely concealed between the soles when the foot is at rest. Any elastic material may be employed for the sheet cl, and it may be attached to the lining in any suitable manner. The device is also equally as well adapted for use with boots or shoes wherein the soles are attached by pegs instead of stitches, as described.

The use of the elastic sheet at one or both sides of the boots, by enabling the upper to conform readily to the shape and movements of the foot, tends to prevent said upper from stretching and renders it much more perfect in'fit.

I do not confine myself to attaching the elastic material to the lining between the toe and shank portions, as it may, if desired, be attached directly to the shank portion to relieve the binding of the upper over the instep; nor do I confine myself to employing any specific number of plaits f in the upper.

In Fig. 6 the elastic sheet (1 is shown secured by one edge at g to the inner face of the upper, the lining terminating at said sheet and being blind-stitched to said upper at that point. WVhen the upper is lasted onto the insole, the operator forms the plait f by push upper may be conjointly folded to form the plaitf and the elastic sheet disposed across said plait on the inner face of the lining and attached to the upper, as described.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is-- 1. A boot or shoe having a fold or plait arranged in its upper between the toe and heel portions thereof, said plait being disposed between the soles outside the sole-seam, and an elastic sheet secured to the inner face of the upper across said plait, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A boot or shoe having a fold or plait in its upper concealed between the soles, said upper at the outer side of said plait being secured to an elastic sheet attached to the lining and said sheet and upper being secured to the sole by the sole-scam at the opposite side of said plait, substantially as described.

7 RICHARD NAGLE.

\Vitnesses:

RICHARD S. DODGE,

A. O. BARTLETT. 

